


At the Crossroads

by LilyRosePotter



Category: Crooked Media RPF
Genre: Implied Mpreg, M/M, Mamma Mia AU, Multi, because why not?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-02
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-06-20 19:25:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15541299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilyRosePotter/pseuds/LilyRosePotter
Summary: Twenty-three years after Jon's greatest mistake, he receives an invitation to a wedding.





	At the Crossroads

Jon doesn’t know why he’s here. Not really. He’d gotten a wedding invitation for two unfamiliar people at an all too familiar location. Even so, he’d been ready to write it off when he looked at the names again. It can’t be a coincidence. Maybe, maybe, it means the chance to deliver the apology that’s been rattling around in his brain for a decade. 

So here he is on a pier that doesn’t seem to have been repaired in the last twenty odd years, staring at the receding silhouette of a boat that _definitely_ hasn’t been repaired since he got off it, on this very pier, hands clutching a beat up messenger bag and the remains of his twice broken heart.  

“Fuck!” someone swears behind him. Jon turns to see a stressed looking guy in a sharp suit standing behind him, breathing hard like he’s been running. His hair is more gray than not but his eyes, even worried and annoyed, are piercingly beautiful.

He’s got a briefcase and a suitcase in his hands and as Jon looks at him curiously, he sets down the suitcase and reaches into his suit pocket to pull out a familiar envelope, staring at it critically.

“Bride or Groom?” Jon asks dryly, pulling out his own envelope.

“Bride. Though- I’ve never met her.” 

“Huh, me too,” Jon says, stretching out his hand. “I’m Jon Favreau.” 

“Dan Pfeiffer.” Dan shakes his hand, grip firm and professional. “I guess it won’t matter if we can’t _get_ there.”

“Guess not,” Jon agrees. “When’s the next ferry anyway?”

“Monday!” a new voice calls delightedly. Jon looks across the pier towards the sound.

A short curly-haired guy is perched precariously on the railing of a small but nice-looking sailboat. Or, Jon thinks it’s a sailboat. He doesn’t know a whole lot about boats and what he does know are remnants from his misspent youth but, the boat looks seaworthy. The railings are shiny and it looks well-kept, if a little messy.

The guy on the boat waves from the railing, shaking a little as his body moves. Jon turns his head to meet Dan’s skeptical look with one of his own, but walks across the pier with purpose anyway.

 “Lovett, Jon Lovett,” the guy says brightly as he hops off the railing.

 "I couldn’t help but overhear,” Lovett continues without stopping. “That you’re looking for a way to the island. Presumably before Monday.”

 “Yeah,” Dan confirms. “Or-” with a sidelong look at Jon. “I am anyways.”

“Might be able to help you out,” Lovett says over him. “For a price of course.” He slides his sunglasses down to wink at Jon exaggeratedly. Jon flushes, unwillingly. He doesn’t do _this_ anymore, no matter what the envelope burning a hole in his pocket says.  

“I have-” Jon says quickly to cover himself, digging in his pocket. 

“I’m joking,” Lovett laughs. His laugh is as bright as his smile, which he directs at each of them in turn. “I’m headed to the island myself. Weddings, huh? Come on, climb aboard.” 

Jon is proud that his feet only slip a little bit as he climbs onto the boat with his duffle. He sets the bag down and turns to take Dan’s suitcase from him. Jon sees in slow motion the tangle of Dan’s foot in a rope on the edge and drops the bag to stop Dan from face-planting on the deck.

“Thanks,” Dan huffs, from, well, basically from Jon’s arms. Jon chuckles and helps him to steady footing. 

“If you two are quite finished,” Lovett snipes, but his voice is still warm. “Batten the hatches, anchors away!” he cries delightedly. The boat rocks horrifyingly as they pull away from the dock. 

“Do you actually know how to drive this thing?” Jon calls over the sound of the engine roaring to life. He carefully makes his way back along the deck to the wheel well 

“Basically?” Lovett offers with a grin, turning the wheel way too hard and sending all three of them flying towards the side railing. 

“Jesus,” Jon mutters, pushing himself to his feet. He grabs the wheel and steadies the boat. “Let me- my knees aren’t strong enough to keep doing that.” 

“Do _you_ know how to drive a boat?” Dan asks, gasping a little bit for air.  

“I, um,” _I used to._ “I know the basics. Went out at Boy Scout camp with my sons a couple times. I won’t shipwreck us at least,” Jon says with a glare at Lovett.  

“Oh what a family man,” Lovett snarks. Jon tenses, fingers gripping the wheel so hard he thinks they must be white.

“Not really,” he bites out.

“Why do you have a boat you can’t drive?” Dan asks quickly, voice smooth and even. Jon focuses on the water ahead, steering out of the harbor easily.

“I just rented it,” Lovett says easily. “I’m a travel writer. Well, I’m a writer who travels a lot and the easiest gig to make rent is travel pieces. I figured I’d sail around the coast for a bit after this wedding.” 

“You’re going to the wedding too?” Jon says, turning to look at Lovett now that the boat is steady and he’s got his breathing under control.

“Didn’t I say?” Lovett shrugs. His face shifts from his easy smile to something more pensive. “I, um, was surprised to get the invitation? I knew the bride’s father, years ago.” 

“Me too,” Dan says so soft it’s hard to hear over the wind and waves. 

Jon pinches his lips together. “Yeah. I- I knew him too. Tommy.”

 

* * *

 

 

Riding in a rickety truck up the bumpy road on the mountain is like riding back in time. Walking up the steps into the courtyard of the inn is an indescribable experience. It’s everything and nothing like it was twenty years ago. The old stone walls, new, brightly painted shutters. The same solemn shape, the noise of a dozen people bustling about. Jon’s eyes catch on a flash of blond hair and his heart stops. 

 _“Can’t you see it Jon?” Tommy asks delightedly. “If it was repaired and with a few additions. A lovely little inn high on a hill.” He wraps his arms around Jon’s neck, leaning back to look up at the blue sky. Jon leans in to kiss the underside of Tommy’s jaw and Tommy tips his head down to look at Jon. “Romantic,” Tommy adds with a wink and Jon feels heat shoot through him._  

“Can I help you?” Jon shakes himself free of the Tommy inside his head to come face to face with- not Tommy.

It’s a girl, first of all, a young woman, really. She’s short, too, he has to look down to meet her eyes. But her eyes are blue and clear and open, her hair is blonde, her jawline is so achingly familiar. Jon recognizes dimly that he’s staring. 

“Yes, I have a room booked,” Dan says slowly. “Dan Pfeiffer.” 

Her eyes widen. 

“Jon Lovett,” Lovett chimes in. When Jon doesn’t speak, Lovett elbows him sharply. 

“Oh, right. I’m- Jon Favreau.” The girl’s eyes sweep up to his face slowly, her mouth turning up into a slow smile that’s so familiar that- “You’re Sophie. Sophie Vietor,” Jon blurts before he can stop himself.

Her smile gets wider. “Yeah I am,” she giggles. “How did you know?”

Jon shakes his head slowly, laughing under his breath despite himself. 

“You look just like your dad,” Lovett says, sounding a little winded. Jon sneaks a look at him out of the corner of his eye. Lovett’s face has the same pensive look from the boat, like he’s remembering something, or, someone. 

Sophie grins. Then her face drops. “Right, my dad,” she mutters. “Okay, I’ll, um, show you where you’re staying. Come this way and shush,” she says dramatically.

“Why are we shushing?” Dan whispers in Jon’s ear as they follow her. 

“I have no idea,” Jon says absently, eyes still locked on the bounce of Sophie’s curls as she walks. 

“Come on, up here!” Sophie calls from inside a shed-like building in front of them. 

_“Come on Jon!” Tommy calls. He’s tugging at the rope tethering an old rowboat to the shore. “Really, this hasn’t been touched in years, no one is going to notice if we borrow it for a few hours.”_

_“That means no one will notice if it sinks with us in it either,” Jon replies, eyeing the creaky wood nervously._  

 _Tommy crows in success as he gets the knot undone. He pushes the boat a few feet from shore. “Look it floats! No water inside.” He tilts his head at Jon, grinning. “You coming?”_  

 _Of course Jon is coming. Jon has known this golden boy for less than a week and he would follow him to the ends of the earth if Tommy will keep looking at him like that._  

“This is… rustic,” Lovett says and Jon looks around the room they’ve just climbed into. It’s certainly not a hotel room, filled with spare tools and three un-inflated air mattresses.

“Well space was tight with the wedding and all,” Sophie says. Her tongue is running over her bottom teeth, back and forth, which is how Jon knows she's lying. 

“Sophie,” Jon says sternly. She can’t be much more than twenty, only a few years older than his own boys. Paul has told him time and time again _Dad, that voice would work a lot better if we didn't know you’re such a pushover_. It turns out he was right about that because Sophie crumples instantly.  

“Look, my dad doesn’t know you’re here,” she says.

“What?” all three of them snap in near unison. Jon still doesn’t know what he thought was going on here, he’d come on a hunch and an ache in his heart, but he’d assumed the invitation must have been Tommy’s doing somehow because why else- 

 _“What I’m saying, Jonathan, is that I never want to see your fucking face again!”_  

“He’s always talking about his friends from the good old days!” Sophie says, cheery. “I thought it would be a lovely surprise, since he’s doing so much for me, well, always, but especially this weekend. _Promise_ you’ll stay for my wedding.” She turns pleading eyes on each of them in turn and… Jon is so fucked. 

“Yeah,” he agrees, deflating. Sophie tilts her head and grins. Dan and Lovett murmur agreement as well and Sophie beams.

“I have to go, but, _thank you_ ,” she says quickly. Then she’s gone so fast that Jon has to blink to make sure he hasn’t hallucinated this whole thing.  

“What the _fuck_?” Lovett says after a minute.  

“I honestly have no idea,” Jon tells him, giving in and reaching for an air mattress and the pump. 

“Good old days,” Dan mutters. Jon looks up to see that Dan’s face mirrors his own worry. “I haven’t talked to Tommy in, twenty years? Very old days.” 

Lovett sighs and flops down on the air mattress Jon just filled. 

“That was for me.” Jon knows his protest is futile even as it leaves his mouth. Lovett just looks at him and winks. 

“This is going to be an adventure,” Lovett says dreamily. “Lost lov- lost friendships, rekindled by the pomp and circumstance of a wedding, aided by the fairy hands of a girl with her head in the sky.” 

Jon’s brain sticks on Lovett’s cut off thought. “Lost loves?” 

Lovett closes his eyes. “You have to be a level six friend to unlock that backstory,” he says slowly. “You’re at like a one. Because you saved the security deposit on the boat.”

“I just-” Jon starts, not sure himself where he’s going with that. It doesn’t matter though, because he’s cut off by an angry voice. 

“What the fuck are you doing here?” 

Tommy is _glowing_ with anger. The first thing Jon’s demented brain thinks is: _holy shit he looks good_. He seems taller somehow, standing straight and confident and severe in the doorway. His eyes are flashing, still seeming to see straight through Jon when he looks at him. His hair is lighter, going white slowly but surely, the lines in his face are deeper. His lips are still pink and full and kissab- 

“Seriously!” Tommy yells, stepping towards Jon, towards them. A quick glance reveals that Lovett has sat up on the air mattress, shoulders tight, and Dan, leaning against a table, is twisting his fingers together. “What are you doing here? On the island, in my shed.” 

Lovett recovers himself first. “I’m working on a travel piece about the coast of Greece,” he lies. Or, well, he did rent the boat for a whole week or whatever, it might not be a lie. 

“My doctor told me I had to take some time off and relax,” Dan says next. Tommy glowers at him but evidently is satisfied with this answer because he whirls around. _Shit_.

“What about you, Jon?” Tommy asks, voice suddenly deadly calm.

_“I didn’t know how to tell you! I was going to-” Jon pleads._

_“‘Tommy, it was very sweet of you to kiss me, but I’m actually engaged to be_ married _.’” Tommy says, cold and clear and sharp. “What is so fucking hard about that, please tell me?”_  

 _“That I’m in lov-”_  

 _“Save it for your wife.” Tommy spits. “What_ I’m _saying, Jonathan, is that I never want to see your fucking face again!”_

“I just-” Jon stumbles. “I just wanted to see the island, see how it’s changed.”

Tommy’s face shifts, just for a second, too quick for Jon to parse the emotion on it before he slams the cold angry mask back on. “All of you, get the fuck out. Who even told you you could stay in the shed? You’re trespassing.” 

Jon bites his lips. Sophie shouldn’t get in trouble for her misguided attempt to be sweet. “Local girl, I didn’t catch her name. She mostly spoke Greek?”

“Well whoever she was she was wrong.” Tommy snaps. “I’ll- I’ll arrange for a boat to take you to the mainland if you need it.” 

“I have a boat,” Lovett says proudly. Jon and Dan both laugh a little at that. “I _do_.”  

“Good,” Tommy says, unfazed. “Get on it.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Well that went well,” Lovett says dryly after their largely silent trek back down to the boat. 

“Overstatement of the century,” Jon retorts, climbing over the railing. He turns to offer both Dan and Lovett hands onto the deck. 

“What do we do now?” Dan asks with a sigh as all of them grab seats. “Do we leave?” 

“I think that would be foolish,” Lovett says, determined. “We- He didn’t know we were coming, he might be happier once he’s not surprised. His daughter’s wedding has to be stressful too and-”

Jon doesn’t think hanging around waiting for Tommy to thaw is the best plan in the world. But now that he’s here again, he feels the magnetic pull that drew him here in the first place. This island had been his favorite place in the world. It still is, apparently. And if the magnet keeping him here has blond hair and blue eyes, sue him. 

“There are beds down below in the boat yeah?” Jon asks. “Nothing fancy, but we could stay a couple days, if you don’t mind sharing, of course,” he adds to Lovett. 

“Sharing the boat or a bed?” Lovett smirks. Jon rolls his eyes. 

“You should learn to drive this thing if you’re going to take it anywhere else,” Jon says instead of dignifying that with a response. Not that he… wouldn’t, but- “How about a sail ‘round the island?” 

“I reject your premise, I’m a perfect sailor.” 

“That sounds great,” Dan says, standing up. “Can I help untie or whatever?” 

“Yeah,” Jon says easily, “Go get that front hook, it’s just a carabiner hooked to the dock it’s not fancy.”

“Can do,” Dan agrees.

“You’ve really just- taken over,” Lovett observes as Jon unclips the back of the boat and sits behind the wheel.

“Is that a problem?” Jon asks, looking at Lovett through his eyelashes. Two can play this game.

“Carry on!” Lovett giggles immediately and Jon grins as he starts the engine. 

“Wait! Wait!” Sophie yells as they pull away from the dock. Jon shifts the engine to neutral and turns to look back and see her running down the dock. Before he can react, she’s pulling off her sundress to the swimsuit underneath and diving into the water, swimming towards them. 

“What the hell?” 

“Sophie!” 

“Jesus!” 

All three of them rush to the side of the boat, making it rock dangerously. The voice in the back of Jon’s head, sounding suspiciously like Tommy, points out that this is overkill, the kid grew up on an island, she’s likely a strong swimmer. That bit of logic makes him grab Dan’s arm when he moves like he’s going to jump over. There’s a rope ladder on the boat and between it and a hand from Jon, they tug Sophie up on deck. 

“You-” she gasps, accusatory, when she's dripping in front of them. “You promised you’d come to my wedding.” 

“Your dad evicted us from our lodging,” Lovett says dryly. Jon leaves them to that explanation and heads below the deck in search of a towel. 

When he climbs the steps, Sophie is smiling again. “I’d love to!” she says, as Jon tosses the towel to her. 

“Anchors away Captain!” Lovett declares, tipping an imaginary hat at Jon. 

Jon laughs, “first lesson is that we don’t have an anchor out right now. Come on, you’re driving.” He slings an arm around Lovett’s shoulder and tows him back towards the wheel. 

As Jon guides Lovett’s hands to the wheel, over his protest, “I do know how to hold a steering wheel thank you,” he can see Dan and Sophie finding a spot on the front of the boat to sit. 

“-almost tipped the boat over on our way out here,” Dan explains. 

Lovett grumbles inaudibly and Jon laughs and stands behind the chair, reaching over Lovett’s shoulders. “Okay you only ever want the gas to be about halfway up when you start it or it will either stall or take off on you.” Jon’s chest presses against Lovett’s back as they reach together to shift the boat into drive. Lovett is warm and solid beneath him and Jon forgets for a moment that he’s teaching here. “Turn the wheel, slowly, just a little bit does the trick, you don’t have to turn it the whole way.” 

“You know,” Lovett complains, when they’ve reached a steady touring pace and the open waters around the island. “Movies are a huge lie. Why do they have that giant spinny wheel that the captain is always dramatically turning if boats are this boring.” 

“I… don’t know,” Jon says. He’s still leaning over Lovett and his back twinges like it’s trying to tell him to quit making a fool of himself. 

“Because it looks a lot cooler than you do right now,” Dan calls backwards. Lovett flips him off as Jon straightens up and stretches his back. 

“Did I pass the class then?” Lovett asks, fake modest. 

Jon shoves his shoulder. “Still got a lot of island to drive around first.” Jon jerks his head forward, “you got it for a minute?” 

Lovett nods. “I won’t crash.” 

Jon carefully walks up to where Dan and Sophie are perched. They’re deep in intent conversation so Jon stays a few feet back, listening. 

“We spent like, a week, just wandering around Paris, drinking coffee in cafes and wine in parks. Your dad would like, pull out his guitar and give impromptu concerts under the Eiffel Tower.” Sophie giggles happily. “Then a couple weeks later, I, um, had a few days in Athens and Tommy had told me he was headed here so I, um, took a side trip.” 

Jon’s not sure if Sophie can hear how hard Dan is straining not to say _so I followed him to Greece_ or if that’s happening at a frequency only another person who’s fallen under Tommy’s spell can hear. Jon, though, feels a spark of kinship that’s matched in Dan’s eyes when he looks up.

Sophie twists to follow Dan’s gaze. “You next Jon,” she says with a sweet smile that knows exactly what tricks it’s capable of. “Tell me embarrassing stories about my dad.” 

“I don’t have any of those,” Jon says smoothly. “I was spending a summer on the island and met your dad a few weeks before I went home. I showed him the best market stall to get fresh orange juice?” 

“Come on,” Sophie pleads. “There must be something juicier.” 

Jon swallows. “What has your dad told you about me?” he asks, to cover and because he’s genuinely curious.

“He’s never mentioned you,” Sophie says immediately. Then her face freezes. Jon looks up at Dan to make sure he’s not going crazy. 

“You said Dad’s always talking-” Dan starts. 

“There’s a cove over there that’s great for swimming!” Sophie says, too fast. She jumps up and practically pushes Jon in her hurry to get back to Lovett and the wheel. 

“I’m not crazy right?” Dan asks, sotto voce. “She said he’s always talking-” 

“Yeah,” Jon confirms. “There’s- something weird going on here.” 

“When-” Dan’s question is cut off by the boat swinging wildly again. Jon pitches forward this time, ending up half in Dan’s lap.

“Lovett it wasn’t like an _emergency_!” Sophie yelps.

“You said there was a tree root right there! I thought you meant right there!” Lovett retorts. 

“Bit of an overcompensation,” Dan calls, hands steady on Jon’s waist as Jon climbs back to his feet. 

“Why don’t you let me take over?” Sophie asks. 

“Are you even old enough to drive?” Lovett snarks. 

“I’m twenty-two!” she snaps. “Also I’ve been driving boats since I was six so there.” 

 _Twenty-two_ echoes in Jon’s head. _Twenty-two_.

“Since you were six?” Dan asks curiously.

“Yeah. Dad said that he’d teach me when I turned six. I think before that I couldn’t see over the wheel even in his lap. My birthday is at the end of April and it was like, unseasonably cold, but I dragged him down to the docks anyway so we were out on the boat in puffy coats and wool hats.” Sophie steers expertly into the cove and shifts to neutral. “There’s a picture, it’s really cute.” 

“Sounds like it,” Dan murmurs. Jon wonders- he can’t possibly be doing the same math in his head as Jon is. _Nine months before April is July. July 2003._ There’s no fucking way. 

“Lovett,” Jon says, hoping his voice doesn’t shake. “ _Now_ you can drop the anchor.”

 

* * *

 

 

It’s a terrible idea. Jon knows that even as he climbs the hill back to the inn that evening. It’s that damn magnet, pulling him back to Tommy like anything will have changed since this morning. 

Tommy is sitting in the courtyard, surrounded by tables and napkins and silverware. The courtyard, as it was this morning, is bustling with activity, workers going back and forth, calls across from the different parts of the inn, but Tommy looks serene, moving his hands in a steady rhythm. Then he looks up and sees Jon. 

“Hey,” Jon says lamely, walking to stand in front of the table Tommy is sitting at. 

Tommy lifts his eyebrows in acknowledgment. “I’m kinda hosting a wedding tomorrow, a little busy to play whatever your game is,” he says. He doesn’t sound angry, he sounds tired. 

“Can I help?” Jon asks. That’s not what Tommy was expecting him to say, his eyes go wide. Jon’s sure he’s going to say no, sure he’ll tell Jon to go fuck himself yet again, but he kicks out the chair across from him instead. 

“Can you fold napkins into fancy flower things?” Tommy asks dryly, holding up an example. 

Jon sits gingerly. “I am eighty percent sure that if I watch you do it a couple times I can figure it out.” 

Tommy chuckles at that. “It’s… actually easier than it looks,” he admits, folding slowly in demonstration. Jon actually has to watch Tommy fold four napkins before he can pay attention to anything but the graceful movement of Tommy’s fingers. 

_“We forgot to use a condom,” Jon mumbles, still sex-stupid in the literal pile of hay Tommy pushed him down into._

_Tommy shrugs. “It’s not a big thing, the statistics for one time are so low.” Jon winces a little. Tommy is so casual about it. “Look if it bothers you, I can just fuck you from now on,” Tommy teases, fingers dancing up the back of Jon’s thighs._  

 _“Ah, I just-” Jon tries, before he loses the ability to form words._  

“Jon?” Tommy says. From the look on his face, it’s not the first time he’s said Jon’s name.

“Yeah, got it,” Jon says, picking up a napkin from the pile.

Tommy laughs, the sound almost easy. “Great, but I asked if you found somewhere for lunch.” 

“Um, no, but we got spanakopita in town when we docked the boat a bit ago,” Jon stammers. Small talk, he can do small talk. “You were right,” he adds nervously, holding up the flower he’s folded. “Easier than it looks.” 

“Soph wasn’t going to give me anything _too_ complicated,” Tommy jokes. “Someone from the kitchen staff was supposed to do it but there was something burning and I had idle hands.” 

“Ah.” Jon folds another two flowers before venturing, “Sophie seems like a great kid.” 

“She’s the best,” Tommy says, face full of pride and love. Jon smiles at how instantly happy he looks at the mention of his daughter. Good. 

“Must have been tricky, doing all of this on your own,” Jon says carefully. It’s a hunch, based on a few half sentences from Sophie on the boat, always _me and my dad_ , a few _he does so much_ s, but it’s clearly right based on Tommy’s expression.  

“Yeah, well,” Tommy says, curt. “We get by.” 

Jon should drop it. Tommy is being polite, they’re _talking_. He can’t stop his mouth from opening, from pushing. “Where’s her other parent?”

Tommy’s face shutters instantaneously. The only hint of emotion is the flower in his hands, crushed under white knuckles. “That is, the absolute opposite of your business,” he says, tight and controlled. 

Jon holds his hands up in surrender. “Just… curious.” 

“Sure,” Tommy says, eyes starting to flash. “And where’s your other half Jon?” 

Jon rubs his face with both hands. He _did_ come here to say this, at least. “I- we got divorced. Almost eleven years ago.” 

Tommy nods, sharp. Jon can’t parse his expression. “What are you doing here Jon?” Tommy asks again. His voice isn’t angry like this morning. It’s tired. 

“It seemed like it had been- long enough,” Jon offers, slowly. 

Tommy shakes his head. “It hasn’t,” he says with finality. “I have a lot to do, please go.” 

Jon sighs and stands. He takes three steps away and then turns around. It’s now or fucking never. “Tommy,” he says, leaning into Tommy’s space. “I came back.” 

“What?” Tommy says. 

“I went home and I broke off my engagement, and I came _back_. And they told me you were off with some other guy.” Jon has to close his eyes against the memory. “So I slunk back home and she called me an idiot and married me to prove it. Went super fucking well obviously.”

Jon straightens up and takes a breath. Tommy is frozen in front of him. “I was such a fucking asshole and I hurt both of you and I'm sorry. That’s what I came here to say,” Jon says quietly, and turns and walks away. He doesn’t look back. Tommy doesn’t call out after him.

 

* * *

 

 

“So you might have made the right choice,” Dan says softly as he sits down behind Jon’s head. Jon jumps, startled. He hadn’t even heard Dan get back on the boat, preoccupied by the stars and his own thoughts. 

“Yeah?” 

“I dunno,” Dan says, Jon rolls his head back so he can see Dan without moving from where he’s lying on the deck. “It was fine for a while. Didn’t know anyone obviously, but I met Sophie’s fiance and he seems nice. She looked happy. Asked about you though…” 

Jon shakes his head a bit. He’d opted to stay on the boat rather than going to the wedding welcome party Sophie eagerly invited them to attend. He didn’t need to impose on Tommy any more than he already had today. And, he needed time to think about what to do next. What to do with his growing certainty that he was Sophie’s father and Tommy had purposely kept that knowledge from him. Kept Jon from knowing her. 

“We told her you weren’t feeling all that well, too much sun. It was fine,” Dan says reassuringly. “I had… a kinda nice conversation with Tommy…” 

“Really?” Jon asks, pushing away the sharp stab of jealousy. Dan didn’t break Tommy’s heart, he can have nice conversations.

“Awkward, but, yeah. Then, um, Tommy and Lovett started yelling at each other so I bailed.”

“Wait, what?” That makes Jon sit up. 

“It started so fast, I don’t know…” Dan says slowly. “It sounded like Tommy kind of just stopped talking to him? They used to be pretty close I guess? Lovett sounded pretty angry.” 

“Weird,” Jon says, knowing that’s not the right word but not sure what the word he wants is. “Tommy’s sure got a lot of story hidden under that smile, huh?” 

Dan hums in agreement. “I snagged some beer on my way, you want?” he offers. They lapse into comfortable silence in the dark, shoulders pressed together as they drink. 

Jon’s not wearing his watch, but he’s pretty sure it’s only a few minutes later that the stillness is broken by Lovett’s angry form storming onto the dock. “Didn’t want to fucking burden me. You fucking dick,” he mutters as he climbs over the railing and drops to the deck, stone-faced. 

Dan immediately holds out a beer which Lovett takes with a sharp twist of his lips. Jon watches the way Lovett’s neck moves as he downs half the bottle in one go, lit by the moonlight. Every muscle in his body is vibrating with held-in emotion, Jon can almost hear it. 

Finally, Lovett puts the empty bottle down and sighs. “I think I’m Sophie’s father,” he says, deflating. 

Jon’s brain skitters off the cliff. If Lovett is- He can’t be- Unless- 

 _“He’s gone,” the local bartender tells him, smug. “And good for him too, didn’t let the likes of you crush him, found another pretty boy to take out right quick.”_  

“Okay,” Dan says calmly. Jon grabs onto his steady tone like a lifeline. “So obviously you slept with Tommy about twenty-three years ago?” 

“No I thought babies happened when you went skinny dipping in the moonlight, no shit we slept together,” Lovett snarks. Dan just keeps looking at him, unflinching.

Lovett breathes slowly and starts again, “More than that, but yeah. We were friends in college, hooked up… more than a few times. He graduated and went traveling, I had another year to go, but I had this summer program in Athens and decided to take a week at the end on the coast. I don’t know which of us was more shocked to see the other in that little bar downtown.” 

Jon’s heart clenches. 

“When was that?” Dan presses. 

“I guess,” he pauses. “The last week of July? 2003.” 

“And then what?” Dan looks intent, like he’s fitting the pieces of a puzzle together. Jon knows the feeling. 

“We spent the week together, had… a decent amount of sex, and then I left the next Friday.” Lovett pauses and Jon thinks that’s it, but then he exhales furiously. “And then Tommy never fucking answered my phone calls or letters or- just fucking ghosted. I knew he was getting over someone-” Jon can’t breathe. “-but I thought we were fucking, friends at least, even if he didn’t feel the same- 

“Anyway. The timeline checks out and just before he stalked off up there he said he ‘didn’t want to burden’ me during my senior year. So I’m pretty fucking sure-” 

Dan cuts him off with a raised hand. “Jon,” he says seriously. “When did you meet Tommy?” 

Jon takes a deep breath. “July eighth, two thousand and three.” The date slips off his tongue easier than he expected it to, freed from the box of guilt and shame he’s kept it locked in for twenty-three years. Lovett gasps, Dan looks unsurprised. 

“It was his first fucking day on the island and he was trapped without gas for the scooter he rented,” Jon says, smiling at the memory of Tommy waving him down on the side of the road. “I took the summer- I was kind of running away, from the dream job I was supposed to start in the fall and my… fiancée.” Lovett’s eyes go wide.

“How long did you stay?” Dan prompts. 

“Two weeks, after meeting Tommy,” Jon says, looking down at the deck. “We- fell hard and fast and, you know,” he chuckles darkly, “definitely checked the skinny dipping box, as it were. And... it turned out that I was a fucking asshole who lied, or, withheld the truth, and also cheated, and Tommy didn’t… appreciate finding that out.

“He, ah, told me to go and I went. Left the island, went home.” Jon steels himself for what has to come next. “I came back a week later, to see if I could persuade him to take me back after I broke it off with her but… Tommy was, um, with someone else.”

“With me,” Lovett says softly.  

“Yeah,” Jon nods, “Seems like it.” He’s surprised to find that he doesn’t really mind that image. Not the way he had when he was twenty-two and brokenhearted. 

“Shit,” Lovett mutters. “So you could be-” 

“That’s what I was thinking, yeah,” Jon says. He looks up. Neither of them looks like they think he’s the worst person alive so... that’s good. Dan looks pensive. _Tommy told me he was headed here._ “Dan, when did you…” 

“Come to Greece like a lovesick fool?” Dan says, bitter. “The very beginning of August.” 

“Fuuckkkk,” Lovett swears. 

“I met him in Paris, in June. He offered, asked if I wanted to come to Greece and I wasn’t- I barely knew him. But then I missed him and I had moved on to Italy so it was easy to-” Dan sighs. “I stayed for three days and then I realized I wasn’t ready to, I don’t know, uproot my life? Come out? And I left.” 

“But the two of you?” Jon checks, just to be sure. 

“Yeah.” 

Lovett is counting on his fingers, like knowing the exact number of days, laid out in a row, is going to change the math. “Lovett.” Jon reaches out to still his fidgeting hands. “The math works out.” 

“Really?” Lovett asks, but it sounds rhetorical. “Any of the three of us could be Sophie’s dad. And Tommy told… none of us.” Jon nods in confirmation. “What a fucking asshole.” 

“I guess he-” Jon starts, reaching for one of the rationalizations he’s been clinging to all day. He comes up with nothing, faced with Dan and Lovett’s angry, hurt faces. It’s not- when it was just him, Tommy had every right not to want to see him. Still should have _told_ him, but Jon- It makes sense. But all three of them? Keeping Sophie away from any chance at a second parent? “Fucking hell, why would he _do_ that?”  

“We have to talk to him about this,” Dan says, resolute. Jon stiffens. Cause that went so well, before. Talking to Tommy is easy as can be. “It’s not fair if he- We should talk to him in the morning.” 

“Yeah,” Lovett agrees. “For now though, alcohol.” 

They polish off the beer, mostly in silence, before stumbling down the steps into the cabin of the boat. Then Jon remembers the operative problem. The boat only has one real bed. 

Hanging hammocks seemed like a good idea this afternoon, before Jon was four drinks in. Now though, his fingers are stumbling over the strings. 

“Hey,” Lovett says, suddenly close behind him. His fingers find Jon’s in the mess of the hammock in his hands and tug. “C’mere.” 

Jon doesn’t have the energy or will power to protest as Lovett tugs him down onto the bed. Lovett curls around his back like he’s done it a million times before. Jon loses the battle to keep his eyes open immediately, drifting a bit to the steady rhythm of Lovett’s breath.

“Come _here_ ,” Lovett sighs after a moment, sounding annoyed.

“Me?” Dan squeaks. 

“No, the other dude hovering like a creep, yes you,” Lovett snipes. “Get in on his other side though, I’ll overheat.” 

Jon’s vaguely aware of the sinking of the mattress as they shuffle around. Then there’s a solid warmth in front of him and he can’t resist tipping his head forward into Dan’s shoulder. Dan makes a surprised noise, but shifts closer and Jon smiles. This is much better than a hammock.

 

* * *

 

 

“Cause I didn’t fucking want you to!” Tommy yells. His face is white and tense and miserable and Jon would feel bad for him if he wasn’t so angry. 

“Maybe it’s not about you,” Lovett snaps, cold and dangerous. “You and your goddamned ego. You don’t just get to decide that someone doesn’t get to be in their kid’s life.”

“Why the fuck not?” Tommy retorts. “I didn’t need any of you. Sophie didn’t need any of you. It’s been twenty-two years and we’ve been just fine.” 

“You still kept-” Dan starts. He pinches his nose between his fingers. “You don’t know what might have happened. You don’t know what might have been different. And you just unilaterally made that huge decision.” 

Tommy’s shoulders shake as he lets out a long breath. “Neither do you. I did what I thought was best with the information I had at the time. And it worked out, until-” his hand runs through his hair nervously. “Why are you _here_? _Now_?” 

“Because I invited them,” Sophie says from the doorway. All four of them jump.

“Sophie,” Tommy says, voice tight. 

“I wanted both of my fathers at my wedding,” she says, like it’s that simple. 

Tommy shakes his head helplessly. “I don’t know which one it is!” 

Jon can’t stop himself from letting out a nervous, desperate laugh. “Oh my god.” Tommy shoots him a dark, dangerous look and Jon shrugs, “I mean you gotta admit it’s absurd.” 

“I don’t, actually,” Tommy snaps. He turns back to glare at Sophie. “How did you even-”

“I found your old journal,” she says. Her face is intent as she matches Tommy, stare for stare. “I’m sorry to have upset you, but I just wanted to _meet_ them. You know I’ve always been curious and you’ve never said!” 

Tommy lifts his eyes to the ceiling, praying for strength or centering himself. The room is silent for a long time before he sighs and reaches out a hand to rest on Sophie’s cheek, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. 

“We’re going to have a long discussion about boundaries and privacy later,” he tells her seriously. “And… communication. Right now, I think you have a rather important event to get ready for.” 

Tommy bends to kiss Sophie’s forehead gently. Jon’s heart aches, watching their golden heads bent together. Fuck biology, fuck all the lost time, he’s felt an unexplainable connection to her since she walked up to them in the courtyard the first day. No matter what, Jon realizes, he’s glad he came. 

“I love you,” Tommy says, soft but clear. Then he lets Sophie go, pushing her gently towards the door. She turns over her shoulder briefly, a worried look on her face as she looks at Jon and Dan and Lovett, but she goes willingly, disappearing into the sunshine. 

When the door closes behind her, Tommy raises his hands to rub his temples, shaking his head disbelievingly. “That girl,” he says softly.

“God she’s so young to be getting married,” Lovett murmurs. He looks lost in thought when Jon glances over, like he maybe didn’t mean to say that out loud.

Tommy responds anyway, his voice still soft. “She is. But hell, this might not work out, but at least she's taking the risk."

Jon has to close his eyes at that. He’s not sure, if Tommy means that as an indictment of himself or of Jon. Possibly both, possibly Dan and Lovett too. But it feels, somehow, like a benediction too.

The four of them are silent for a while before Tommy remembers himself and shakes out his shoulders. “Um, I'll, ahh, see you at the wedding,” he offers, reaching for the door.

Jon feels the shock of that ripple through him. It’s unquestionably a dismissal, but it isn’t the _fuck you_ he’s expecting. “Really?” he asks.

“Well,” Tommy says, resigned. “Sophie wants you there, so I guess you’d better show up.” With that, he sweeps out the door.

 

* * *

 

 

“Oh my god,” Lovett giggles suddenly, breaking the comfortable, contemplative silence while they float in the swimming cove Sophie showed them yesterday. 

“What?” Dan asks.

“I just- I can’t believe Sophie fucking parent-trapped us, what a demon.” He sounds unbearably fond. 

“She’d better not have an identical twin,” Jon sighs, pushing up his sunglasses to look at Lovett. 

“Don’t even fucking joke,” Dan laughs. 

Suddenly a spray of water hits Jon in the face. “Hey!” He sits up on the raft he’s floating on to glare. Dan just giggles and flicks water at him again.

Lovett leans off his own raft to splash Dan in the back of the head. He must lean too far because before the water even makes contact, Lovett is toppling over with a shriek. 

Jon laughs and jumps into the water, easy, to wade towards them. While Dan is preoccupied with splashing Lovett, he sneaks up on him, tackling Dan into the water effortlessly. Dan tugs Jon under with him, just as easily. 

When they resurface, gasping for air between giggles, Lovett has reclaimed his raft. Dan’s hands are loosely holding Jon’s waist, keeping him steady and close in the water. Kissing distance, Jon thinks, and all of a sudden he _wants_.  

“You know,” he jokes, trying to keep it light and easy. “If we weren’t in the middle of a soap opera, I’d be making a move on you right now.”

Dan’s hands tighten and Lovett makes a choked noise. Jon turns his head to look at Lovett, who has lost his sunglasses in the roughhousing. His eyes are wide and curious. Jon grins at him, “Both of you.”

“Yeah,” Dan murmurs, tucking his face into Jon’s neck. It’s warm in the sun, close together like this, but it’s so good. It’s almost everything Jon could ask for, everything that he didn’t know he was even looking for.

The moment is broken by Jon’s phone ringing on the boat. “The alarm,” he says, slowly disentangling himself to head back. They have to take turns getting ready in the tiny boat bathroom and make it back to the inn for the wedding. This has to wait.

Dan keeps an arm around him as they wade back to the boat, tugging Lovett’s float with his other hand. Jon can’t keep the smile off his face.

 

* * *

 

 

“Hey!” Sophie says, pushing past wedding guests with a calculated smile until she reaches the table the three of them have claimed by the bar. Lovett has almost knocked over their drinks at least five times in the past two hours, while Dan’s face, leaning on his elbows, slid closer and closer to the table so that he’s practically laying on it. Jon can’t stop smiling; at them, at Sophie twirling on the dance floor, and once, cautiously, at Tommy across the crowd. 

“Hey yourself,” Lovett says when Sophie comes to an abrupt stop in front of them. “You look lovely, this whole wedding is lovely.” 

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” she beams. 

“Jon cried,” Lovett smirks and Jon elbows him. Lovett had been pretty red-eyed himself by the end of the ceremony but some people aren’t narcs. Dan’s foot traces the back of Jon’s ankle under the table where their legs are pressed together. 

“I did,” Jon admits easily, smiling at Sophie. “I’m a sap like that.” 

“I like it,” Sophie giggles. “Anyway, can I borrow you three for a minute?” She doesn’t wait for an answer before sailing off towards one of the doors into the inn. Lovett shrugs and hops off his chair to follow her, Dan and Jon trailing slightly behind. 

“I feel like we’re maybe borrowing you instead of the other way around,” Dan says as they walk into the sitting area Sophie’s chosen. She rolls her eyes and points at the couch, dropping onto the ottoman in a manner far too casual for someone in a poofy dress. 

“Okay,” Sophie says when they’re all arranged to her satisfaction. “I’m going to say some things and you’re going to listen because I need to get them out of my brain, and then you’re going to give me your honest opinions. Deal?”

“Deal,” Jon says immediately. Dan and Lovett mutter agreement and Sophie smiles, twisting the shiny new ring on her finger nervously.

“So I invited you here under false pretenses, or at least omissive pretenses. And I’m really sorry for that,” she starts, leaning forward, eyes bright. “I was impulsive and eager and it was irresponsible of me to just fuck around with everyone’s lives like that and I understand if you’re mad, I think Dad is going to be a little mad forever.” 

“Oh I doubt-” Lovett starts and Sophie holds up a hand to cut him off. 

“ _However_ , I stand by my, like, mission. I wanted to meet the missing parent I’d never known. I wanted to have a chance to…” she pauses, searching for the words she wants. “It’s always just been me and Dad. And I love him so much, I wouldn’t trade my childhood. But I wondered what it would be like to… know something more. To have… more family.

“I still want that,” she exhales in a rush. “And I- look technology is awesome we can do a DNA test or whatever, but I don’t really _care_.”

Jon lets out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding while Dan goes stiff beside him. “What does that mean?” Dan asks, voice rough. 

“I just-” Sophie stumbles for a second before the words fall out in a rush. “All three of you are _amazing_ and yesterday was, I loved spending the day with you. I think I’d like to do more of that. I feel like, it might be crazy, but I feel like, a connection to each of you and I want to see where that goes and is it really that much weirder, when you didn’t know one of your fathers until you were twenty-two, to build relationships with three fathers? I don’t need to _know_ , I want all of you.” 

The room is so quiet you could hear a pin drop, even while the faint sound of the band drifts in from outside. Dan is definitely not breathing. Jon chances a look at Lovett and sees that his eyes are wide, but… hopeful. Jon’s own heart is pounding, threatening to beat out of his chest with how _much_ he’s feeling.  

“It’s stupid, I’m sorry, I’m asking for too much,” Sophie apologizes nervously. She’s looking down at her hands, still twisting her ring. “Forget I ever said-” 

“No!” Jon and Lovett speak at the same time. Sophie’s head snaps up. Lovett makes a _go ahead_ gesture at Jon.  

“Sophie,” Jon says carefully, reaching out for her hand. “I would like nothing more than to get to know you and be in your life, whatever that looks like. You’re extraordinary, sweetheart. 

He doesn’t mean to let the pet name slip but he wouldn’t take it back, looking at the glow on her face. 

“Well now anything I say is going to be less good, what was I thinking telling you to go first,” Lovett bitches. “It’s a yes from me Sophie, though I have _no_ idea how to do… any of this.”  

“I personally,” Jon deadpans, “am an expert in learning how to be a third of a father to a fully grown just married kid.” He winks at Sophie and she giggles while Lovett scoffs. Then Sophie’s eyes slide sideways and her smile fades a bit. 

“Um… Dan?” she asks tentatively. Jon squeezes her hand. 

“No. Yeah. I’m-” Dan stammers. Jon knocks their knees together reassuringly and meets Lovett’s eyes, biting his lip. It feels hugely consequential, what Dan’s answer is. “I’m in,” Dan says, more sure, and they let out their collective breath.

“Yeah?” Sophie says, hopeful. 

“Yeah,” Dan confirms. “Definitely.” 

The four of them grin at each other like idiots for a while before Jon has a sudden thought. 

“Um. Not to bring the mood down but what about-” 

He’s cut off by the door opening. Tommy appears like Jon summoned him, standing in the doorway looking perplexed. 

“Sophie, Emily said you needed…” Tommy says slowly. He shakes his head. “Oh I see, it was all a scheme.” 

“Dad, come here,” Sophie says, reaching out a hand to him. Tommy slowly makes his way across the room and lets her tug him down onto the ottoman beside him.

Jon realizes he’s still holding her other hand when he sees Tommy notice it. He tries to let go, but Sophie just squeezes tighter. 

“Let me catch you up Dad,” she says calmly. “We’ve decided that we don’t need to know which of them is my biological father. I want to get to know all three of them and…” Sophie is holding Tommy’s gaze and Jon is holding his breath. “You loved all of them, so, ahh, I do too. They’re all my fathers,” she says simply. 

Tommy looks- Tommy looks _proud_. His eyes are shining as he looks at his daughter and Jon feels a traitorous flip of hope in his chest.  

“Okay,” Tommy breathes, soft but certain. Sophie smiles, brilliant and bright, and leans in to wrap an arm around him. “You should go back to your party,” Tommy tells her. “You can practice your life coaching after the honeymoon.” 

“Sure thing Daddy,” she giggles. It feels like intruding, watching them smile fondly at each other. Then Sophie turns, smile still lighting her face. “I mean it all. Everyone has to provide three forms of contact information.” 

“I forgot, I don’t have a phone,” Lovett jokes. Sophie finally drops Jon’s hand to hug Lovett tightly, her hair flying around his face with the force of it. It takes Lovett a second to react, but his arms come up slowly to squeeze her in return. 

Next Sophie turns to hug Dan, who pulls her in like he’s done it a million times. “Thank you,” he whispers into her hair, so soft Jon barely hears it, close as he is. He can’t hear her reply.

“Will you introduce me to your sons?” Sophie murmurs, when she’s flung herself at Jon and stretched onto her toes to reach his ear. Jon smiles at the image of Sophie with the boys that immediately fills his brain. They’ll adore her. 

“I’d love nothing more,” he assures her, thumb stroking her shoulder. “Just say when.”

“When,” she giggles and Jon squeezes her one more time before giving her a gentle push away. 

She hugs Tommy again before darting out the door, kissing his cheek and whispering something inaudible. Whatever she says makes Tommy’s face shift from a smile to something that looks a bit like fear, before settling on intent.

Tommy lets the door close behind her before he shifts awkwardly from foot to foot, face set. “I’m sorry,” he says without preamble. “I’m sorry I kept this huge fucking secret from you, at all, and I’m sorry I kept it for so long. Sophie deserved a chance to know you and you deserved a chance to know her. 

“I, um, think that I-” he stumbles, seemingly having reached the end of his prepared statement. “I was, ah, scared. And I- I was stubborn. And I was so _angry_ ,” the last delivered directly to Jon, “that I thought- I don’t know, it seemed simpler for everyone and it was wrong of me and you’ve all apologized for things, I should too. 

“And I _am_ sorry,” he adds, like he realized how much that last qualifier detracted from his apology.  

Jon looks over to find Dan and Lovett looking at him. Dan has a question in his eyes and Lovett nods, quick. Jon presses his lips together before nodding too.

“We forgive you,” Lovett says with bravado. Tommy sighs a little, in relief or exasperation, and pointedly turns to look at them in turn. When he meets Jon’s eyes, Jon forgets how words work, with Tommy’s eyes, soft and pleading, focused on him. Jon nods a little desperately. 

“Do you forgive-” Jon starts before he can stop himself. He doesn’t have the right to ask for that. Tommy is letting him be in Sophie’s life, that’s more than enough. 

“Yes.” Tommy’s surety startles him. “You were still an asshole, but yes, I forgive you.” Jon’s heart is in his throat. He never in a million years thought that-

“God,” Lovett says suddenly. “It’s a shame we were all such young idiots, this could have been something great.”

Jon’s head moves without his consent to stare at Lovett. He’s right, Jon realizes, like a punch to the stomach. They sailed right past each other and hurt each other and went through so much pain. But it feels so right to be standing here, the four of them, like an answer to a question he never knew to ask. 

Dan breaks the silence, soft, but confident. “Who says it couldn’t be great now?” 

“ _What?!_ ” Tommy asks, strangled.

“Why not?” Dan says calmly. “Jon you said this afternoon- It wouldn’t be easy, but you guys can’t deny there’s something here.”

Jon stares at him. This is not what he meant. He wants it but this can’t- Tommy won’t- 

“You’re right,” Lovett says, voice shaky. “You’re right.” 

Lovett takes one step forward, then two, until he’s right in front of Tommy. Tommy looks scared, but when Lovett reaches for him, he doesn’t pull away. “Tommy,” Lovett murmurs. “Can I?” 

Tommy nods, so quick Jon would have missed it if he was able to tear his eyes away for even a second and then Lovett is tugging his face down, pulling him into a kiss. 

“Jon,” Dan says, hand sliding up Jon’s arm. “Hey.” 

Jon turns to face him. Dan’s eyes are clear and piercing, captivating like they’ve been since the first moment Jon saw him on the pier. The lines in his face deepen as he smiles. “Yeah,” Jon breathes.

Kissing Dan feels like jumping from a plane, the air in Jon’s lungs suddenly not enough to breathe, to stay present. Only Dan’s steady hands on his waist ground him. 

“My turn,” Lovett says, bossy and suddenly right next to them. Dan laughs as he pulls away from Jon, bending down to kiss Lovett, quick and sweet before stepping away, stepping towards Tommy.

“Hi,” Jon says nonsensically when Lovett grabs his face. Lovett laughs at him and pulls at his hair. 

Lovett is a demanding kisser, moving Jon exactly where he wants him with his hands, a leg wrapped around Jon’s knee, his nose, his lips. Lovett’s tongue pushes Jon’s mouth open and Jon gives in and lets himself sink into Lovett’s grasp, Lovett’s control.

Jon whines when Lovett pulls away from him, a minute or an hour later.

“One more,” Lovett whispers against his lips before spinning Jon with hands on his shoulders. Jon almost falls over, almost falls into Tommy who’s standing right in front of him, a question in his eyes and fear in the lines of his face. 

“This could be a disaster,” Tommy says quietly. 

It might be a disaster. They all have so much baggage. He’s known Dan and Lovett for _two days_. None of them have talked to Tommy for twenty-three years and they’re standing on such uneven ground with each of their histories. It’s crazy, to consider reshaping their lives around this, on top of navigating this strange relationship with the daughter they didn’t know they had. 

And yet. It could work. Jon could have everything he thought he’d lost as a stupid selfish kid who didn’t know how to take care of the love that overwhelmed him. He could have everything he didn’t know he wanted until now, here. They could have each other. This could be the best thing. 

Suddenly, Jon is completely sure. Surer than he’s been of anything in decades. 

“Yeah, it could,” he agrees. “But at least we’ll be taking the risk.” Tommy smiles, bright as the sun and beautiful as the cliffs and the sea, and leans forward to close the distance between them until their lips meet.


End file.
